Omega Is Only Selling Its New Speedmaster Watch On Instagram

The world of high-end watches is a rareified one. To their credit, the companies that produce them cling tight to traditional values of craftsmanship, beauty and art—values that often stand at odds in today’s climate of fast (and disposable) fashion. You don’t see brands whoring themselves out to so-called influencers or offering Black Friday deals. So the recent decision by Omega to offer one of its iconic Speedmaster watches exclusively online is a surprising, albeit welcome, move.

The limited edition release of the Omega “Speedy Tuesday” Speedmaster marks the first time that the Swiss watchmaker has sold a new timepiece online. Previously new Omegas were only available at boutique stores. The name is a reference to the hashtag #SpeedyTuesday that watch blogger Robert-Jan Broer started five years ago. The hashtag has become a rallying point for Omega fans on social media, and the brand wanted to create a timepiece that catered to that community. The “Speedy Tuesday” watch was first posted on Instagram and is available to reserve at Omegawatches.com.

Only 2,012 of the Speedmasters are being produced and customers even have the opportunity to select which number they want. The watch takes many vintage design cues from some of the most popular Speedmasters. It is based off of the “Alaska Project III” watch that was created for NASA in 1978 to be easy to read in space, which is why it has a matte finish and large subdials. The black-and-white “Reverse Panda” colors on the dial are a style that Omega first used in 1966 and even the company logo is vintage.

The 1978 Project Alaska III (left) alongside the 2017 Speedy Tuesday

The “Speedy Tuesday” Speedmaster has both a leather strap and a black-and-white striped fabric NATO strap that echoes the colors on the dial. While fans can reserve the watches now for $6,500, they won’t actually be delivered until later this summer.